“Never has so much been owed by so many to so few.” In a recent conversation regarding a proposed stone quarry in Halifax a friend jokingly referenced the above quote spoken by Winston Churchill nearly 75 years ago. And though offered in jest, it resonated with me. This quarry, which will cut a hole into the very heart of one of southern Vermont’s finest tracts of road less forest habitat, will profit one out-of-state landowner, plus his out-of-state partner. The rest of Halifax will be left with relentless noise, water pollution, tax increases to cover road damage, reduced property values, compromised wetlands, irreparable resource damage and permanent wildlife loss. Such a deal.

In cases like this there are always winners and losers. In a well-planned and sensible proposal the winners outnumber the losers. In this case, the numbers are more like two years 500. Make sense? Well, it gets worse. The stone (which is destined for high end kitchen counters) exists throughout Halifax and surrounding communities. So where does it end in your back yard?

Speaking of back yards, a previous letter to the editor referred to people opposing this project as NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard). Exactly who is it that would want compressors, hammer drills, industrial generators, excavators, loaders and heavy trucks operating next door? Aside from the two applicants, I’m having a little difficulty coming up with the rest. Certainly, bear, moose, deer, bobcat and a host of other wildlife are not among them. So help me out here. Why should so many owe so much to so few?